136 
February  6,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
butter  which  never  varies  a  hairbreadth  throughout  the 
season,  must  stand  the  chance  of  a  better  market  than  the 
uncertain  contents  of  the  dozen  or  more  butter  baskets 
brought  to  town  by  the  village  carrier.  This  dairy  co¬ 
operation  seems  the  first  step,  and,  we  may  add  ourselves, 
that  any  knowledge  as  to  how  to  start  and  to  carry  on  such 
■  an  enterprise  would  be  most  valuable,  not  only  to  us,  but  to 
many  of  our  neighbours.  We  want  to  be  more  in  touch 
with  the  consumer.  We  want  to  get  rid  of  the  middleman  ; 
and  if  we  can  be  taught  this  by  the  people  in  Dacre  Street 
we  shall  be  thankful. 
If  we  are  to  combine  to  sell  our  produce,  and  thus  make 
the  best  of  it,  we  also  ought  to  combine  to  buy  those  goods 
that  we  need  for  the  proper  carrying  on  of  our  business. 
We  need,  oh!  so  many  things,  and  we  often  get  sadly 
robbed.  For  tillages,  for  seeds,  for  machinery,  for  pedigree 
stock  our  demand  is  incessant,  and,  surely,  by  combination 
we  might  contrive  to  get  better  terms  and  better  articles. 
Now  we  know  some  readers  will  at  once  observe  there  are 
: farmers’  companies  that  were  promoted  on  purpose  to  supply 
a  good  article  at  a  fair  price.  Yes,  we  know  all  that, 
and  we  know  something  that  the  outsider  perhaps  does  not 
know.  These  companies  were  founded  by  farmers,  and  they 
got  their  share  of  legitimate  profit.  But  the  money  profit 
Avas  not  their  first  idea.  Their  idea  was  a  pure  article,  and 
if  there  was  a  good  dividend  honestly  made,  all  right ; 
but  of  the  shares^ — the  original  shares — how  many  in  the 
course  of,  say,  twenty  years^,  remain  in  the  hands  of  the 
farmer  proper?  Just  attend,  as  we  have  done,  the  public 
sale  of  some  of  these  shares.  Who  are  the  buyers  1  A  very 
small  percentage  of  farmers  ;  but  numerous  outside  men, 
Avho  care  absolutely  nothing  as  to  hoAV  the  dividend  is 
earned  as  long  as  they  get  it.  This  is  not  an  isolated  case, 
and  Avhen  outsiders  (i.e.,  other  than  farmers)  get  the  pre¬ 
ponderance,  look  out  for  squalls.  Co-operation  does  aw8.y 
Avith  this.  Dividend  is  not  the  thing  striven  for.  Pristine 
purity  is  1 
We  have  made  a  step  in  the  direction  of  the  improvement 
of  stock.  Throughout  the  country  are  associations  for  the 
purchase  of  stud  animals  ;  but  there  is  still  room  for  more. 
We  Avant  some  associations  for  quite  the  small  man — the 
man  aaNo  is  not  interested  in  the  Shire  or  Hackney,  but 
AAdiose  sole  hope  is  his  cow.  There  used  to  be  parish  bulls 
and  parish  boars.;  whv  nob  again?  Then  machinery,  that, 
too,  is  a  Avide  field.  Why  should  this  trade  be  in  some 
neighbourhoods  concentrated  in  one  man,  Avho  is  really 
the  master  of  the  situation?  Why  not  combine  for  the  use 
■of  reapers  (hay  and  corn).  Potato  diggers,  riddles,  and,  above 
all,  threshing  machines. 
Then  Ave  come  to  the  old  perennial  poultry  question. 
Why.  instead  of  each  person  setting  their  own  hens,  should 
not  all  the  chickens  be  hatched  out  of  incubators,  and  then  dis¬ 
tributed  to  be  reared  on  the  several  homesteads,  collected 
again  at  a  central  depot  for  the  final  cramming  process,  and 
be  dressed  and  sent  by  the  crate  to  the  large  centres  of  popu¬ 
lation  ?  lh(i  s  Mie  with  f'gg-.  L*'t  them  he  collected  fresh, 
graded,  and  sent  off  in  bulk.  We  ourselves  found  out  we  could 
do  better  AAuth  our  eggs  by  sending  in  quantity  to  the  large 
toAAms.  We  got  a  neighbour  or  tAvo  to  join  us  at  first,  but  it 
Avas  too  much  trouble  to  pack  carefully  and  invoice  to  a 
station.  They  only  did  it  for  a  feAv  Aveeks,  but  still  loudly 
lamented  the  poor  price  obtained  in  the  local  market. 
Then  in  those  districts,  -ydrere  fruit  is  abundant  there  is 
an  immense  field  for  co-operation.  The  cost  of  sending  off 
by  rail  a  feAV  stones  makes  one  fight  shy  of  the  job  ;  but  if  a 
truck-load  could  be  guaranteed,  special  rates  would  be  made 
by  the  railway  company.  We  see  from  the  papers  before 
us  that  in  Worcestershire  a  society  has  been  started  for  the 
purpose  of  bringing  into  irnmediate  contact  the  fruit  growers 
and  fruit  consumers,  and  in  this  case  Ave  have,  on  the  best 
authority,  the  information  that  in  the  district  referred  to, 
i.e..  Far  Forest,  the  members  of  the  Supply  Association  are 
almost  entirely  small  holders.  They  are  not  only  supplying 
flint,  but  other  pleasant  country  things— poultry,  butter, 
eggs,  &c. 
It  Ave  might  A^enture  an  opinion,  Ave  Avould  say  that  a 
notable  field  for  enterprise  lies  before  the  A.*O.S.  in  those 
districts  A\Fere  the  land  is  cut  up  into  small  holdings.  It 
is  the  Aveak  Avho  Avant  the  most  help.  The  man  who  farms 
fiom  200  to  1,000  acres  is  generally  strong  enough  to  protect 
himself.  He  is  rather  in  the  case  of  those  big  shipping  firms 
Avho  do  their  own  insurance.  Of  course,  it  would  be  better 
if  the  strong  brother  would  join  force  with  the  weak  one  ; 
but  it  is  really  the  weak  one  who  would  get  the  greatest 
ultimate  benefit.  The  A.O.S.  comes  before  the  public  with 
a  well  thought  out  plan  of  action,  and  we  only  wish  its  aims 
and  objects  Avere  better  known.  We  would  ourselves  gladly 
go  miles  to  hear  an  organising  secretary  tell  us  how  to  make 
a  start  on  better  lines,  and  we  have  no  doubt  Avhat  he  left 
unexplained  Avould  be  soon  elicited  by  practical  questions, 
from  his  hearers.  There  is  nothing  like  the  living  voice. 
Subjoined  is  a  list  of  its  aims  :  — 
I.  It  sends  down  organisers  to  address  meetings  and  to 
give  advice  as  to  the  proper  course  to  be  pursued  in  the 
formation  of  local  societies. 
II.  It  provides  model  rules,  Avhich  have  been  found  by 
experience  to  be  the  best  working  rules  for  similar  societies. 
III.  It  sends  lecturers,  when  desired,  to  afiiliated 
societies. 
IV.  It  acts  as  an  information  bureau  to  afiiliated 
societies — 
(a)  For  trading  matters. 
(b)  In  legal  matters  (especially  as  r»gards  Indus¬ 
trial  and  Provident  Societies). 
(c)  In  expert  advice. 
(d)  In  obtg,ining  paid  managers,  dairymen,  -and 
similar  officials. 
(e)  In  co-operative  account  keeping. 
V.  It  arbitrates  in  disputes  arising  from  the  rules  of 
administration  of  afiiliated  societies. 
VI.  It  assists  in  all  ways  possible  the  furtherance  of  com¬ 
bined  action  betAveen  the  various  affiliated  societies  in 
trading  matters. 
VII.  It  publishes  leaflets  and  circulars  from  time  to  time 
dealing  Avith  the  various  forms  of  agricultural  co-operation, 
and  furnishing  trade  information. 
For  terms  of  membership,  and  more  useful  information 
than  Ave  can  compress  into  our  limited  space,  apply  to  the 
Secretary,  Dacre  House,  Dacre  Street,  Victoria  Street, 
London,  S.W. 
Work  on  the  Home  Farm. 
Last  Aveek  Ave  had  three  or  four  fine  mild  days,  Avith  the  ther¬ 
mometer  at  SOdeg  in  the  shade,  and  Ave  could  almost  see  a  change 
in  the  herbage  of  the  pastures.  Now  we  have  a  covering  of  snow, 
with  a  frosty  Avind  from  the  Avest,  while  the  newspaper  prophesies 
rain.  It  is  not  easy  for  the  farmer  to  plan  his  Avork  from  day 
to  day,  even  at  this  time  of  year.  To-day  one  farmer  is  sorting 
Potatoes  Avith  a  riddle  worked  by  his  OAAm  regular  farm  men, 
six  in  irumber.  It  Ava*s  snoAving  up  to  9  a.m.,  but  the  men,  who 
w’ere  meanAvhile  employed  about  the  premises,  were  ready  to  start 
w’ork  as  soon  as  the  doAvnfall  ceased.  The  tenant  of  the  next 
farm  intended  also  to  sort  Potatoes,  hut,  having  no  riddle,  is 
dependent  on  Avomen  sorters.  These  ladies  Avill  not  come  for  half 
a  day,  and,  in  fact,  resent  being  sent  for  after  the  usual  time. 
There  Avas  no  sorting  on  this  land,  and  the  greater  part  of  a  fine 
day  Avas  lost.  Is  it  surprising  that  machine  riddles  are  becoming 
so  common  ?  On  one  farm  the  hands  are  usefully  employed  on 
urgently  necessary  Avork ;  on  the  other  they  liaA'e  to  be  put  to 
odd  fillinv  up  jobs.  Before  this  snoAv  came  the  land  was  drying 
nicely,  and  if  it  melts  arvay  without  much  rain  to  folIoAv,  we  shall 
be  able  to  cross  fallows  very  soon.  That  is  the  first  ploughing 
Avork  AA'hich  lies  before  us,  the  Turnip  folds  having  been  ploughed 
close  up  last  Aveek. 
There  are  complaints  of  the  not  over  Avell  planted  young 
Clovers  clAvindling  aAvay  still  fuidher.  This  may  be  caused  by  the 
sharp  fro.sts  Ave  have  had  Avhen  the  ground  Avas  in  a  A^ery  w'et 
condition  ;  nothing  is  so  fatal  to  young  Clover  as  a  combination 
of  frost  and  flood.  The  young  roots  are  lifted  and  broken,  and 
the  plant  is  so  loosened  that  it  dies.  As  soon  as  the  surface  is 
dry  enough,  a  heavy  flat  roll  should  he  run  oA’er  the  young  seeds, 
but  it  must  not  be  done  in  frosty  weather.  Seeds  may  be  rolled 
ho Av ever,  when  the  land  Avould  be  too  Avet  for  rolling  Wheat. 
The  latter,  as  well  as  the  hari’OAving  of  it,  must  Avait  for  the  pre¬ 
sent.  Hoav  much  more  satisfactory  is  the  appearance  of  a  field  of 
Wheat  Avhich  has  been  Avell  drilled,  than  one  Avhich  has  been 
BOAvn  broadcast  on  the  ploughing.  We  saAV'  one  of  the  latter  the 
other  day.  In  some  places  it  Avas  much  too  thick,  and  in  others 
there  Avas  very  little.  There  Avere  indications  that  the  plough¬ 
ing  had  been  anything  but  straight,  Avhilst  the  less  said  about  the 
soAver’s  ability  the  better.  SoAving  is  becoming  such  a  lost  art 
that  it  appears  that  Avithout  a  drill  the  work  cannot  be  done. 
What  a  good  thing  it  Avould  he  for  a  landowner  or  a  combination 
of  his  tenants  to  offer  a  good  annual  prize  to  the  best  all  round 
labourer  in  the  parish  under  a  certain  age.  There  would  be 
then  some  inducement  for  young  labourers  to  become  more 
efficient. 
